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Saturday, January 12, 2013 – Daily News 3B Country Life garden & Diggin' In: Gardening resolutions for 2013 home 1.12 The remodeling process By Kathy Van Mullekom Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) (MCT) NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — For many, the new year means there are pounds to shed, closets to clean and credit cards to pay. Gardeners, however, focus on beauty that's just around the corner – the promise of another growing season with the chance to enhance a garden or try a new plant. In the spirit of making New Year's resolutions, here's what some gardeners resolve to do in 2013. Their goals can play out most anywhere you garden. Recycle more … As a community project, we're going to build a greenhouse out of plastic bottles, which keeps them out of the trash and makes it a fun project for kids, as well as encouraging them to recycle. — Wendy Iles, founder of the nonprofit www.hamptongrows.org Let nature be … Allow dead vegetation in the garden to stand over winter, furnishing habitat for birds, small mammals and overwintering insects because they lay their eggs in the stems of goldenrod and other sturdy plants. In spring, cut the old stems into small segments so they fall to the soil surface, becoming early spring mulch where beneficial insect eggs develop and hatch. — Helen Hamilton, John Clayton Chapter, Virginia Native Plant Society; www.claytonvnps.org Plant more plants … Although my rain garden slows runoff and water in an easement that flows to a creek and waterways beyond, it tends to fill with leaves and debris, so I will rake it and "plant more plants" (www.plantmoreplants.com) in and around it to keep pollutants from washing into the Chesapeake Bay and to create a fun and healthy habitat full of native birds, butterflies, insects and grandchildren. — Sara Lewis, Williamsburg gardener and volun- teer with Chesapeake Bay Foundation (www.cbf.org) Garden smarter … Cover bare spots in my yard quickly — before erosion occurs and washes soil into the storm drain. Do a soil test to determine what nutrients my yard needs; if fertilizer is recommended apply it in fall. Install another rain barrel to keep my water bill down and my plants happy. — Ann Jurczyk, Williamsburg gardener and outreach advocate for Chesapeake Bay Foundation Garden greener … Mulch in the leaves on my lawn with a mulching mower instead of raking them to add nutrients to my soil. Keep a garden journal so I remember when I did tasks like sowing seeds, cutting back perennials and adding soil amendments. Reduce the size of my lawn, converting it to native plant beds that require less of everything. — Grace Chapman, horticulture director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond; www.lewisginter.org Win war on weeds … Get weeds when they are young because youngsters are easier to eliminate using a hoe versus pulling large, well-established adults. Many spring weeds, such as chickweed, are in the garden now as babies. — Lisa Ziegler, The Gardener's Workshop, an online gardening supply house at www.shoptgw.com Live greener … Reuse an unwanted ladder into a vertical display of potted plants, old vinyl window blinds or silverware into plant markers or a broken teapot into a beautiful planter. Reduce the amount of grass in the lawn into a beautiful display of native flowers, shrubs and trees. Compost food waste into compost for the garden. — Julia Hillegass of www.askHRgreen.org Use more native plants … Native species evolve to better perform with our changing climate, and they provide food, cover and habitat for native wildlife. — Bruce Peachee, horticulture curator with Virginia Living Museum in Newport News; www.thevlm.org Spread the word … Create awareness of the benefits of volunteering at local gardens and farms, thereby building better relationships as we descend on a farm for a day to help out. — Lara Haner, director of The Tidewater Crop Mob on Facebook Fatten my worms … Last year, I bought the CanO-Worms composting farm and was withholding all acidic fruit and vegetables, thinking they didn't care for them. But, a friend in Portsmouth tells me she feeds hers everything from the kitchen and they eat all of it. So, I will feed them more frequently with more scraps from my kitchen, and I will reap the benefits of more organic fertilizers to use in my garden. — Linda Pinkham, gardener and Tidewater Daylily Society member in Isle of Wight County Grow more edibles … Use a square-foot gardening plan, put lime or crushed eggshells in planting holes for tomatoes, make and use compost generously and water everything mornings as needed. — Melinda Webb, Hampton master gardener; http://offices.ext.vt.edu/ha mpton Plant more veggies … The children that visited our Children's Garden in 2012 really enjoyed picking tomatoes, pulling carrots and digging sweet potatoes, which grow so well in the compost we make, so we are going to plant even more this year. — Becky Heath of Brent and Becky's Bulbs in Gloucester; www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com Simplify, share and enjoy … If a plant flourishes and I like it, I will use more of it. I will share those plant successes by dividing them, rooting cuttings or saving seeds and pass them along to others. I will bask in the beauty of the garden because it sustains my soul as well as my energies. — Marie Butler, horticulturist with Virginia Zoo in Norfolk; www.virginiazoo.org Deodar Cedar, simply unbeatable in the winter landscape your landscape. They perform best in full sun and are drought tolerant once established. This tree likes welldrained locations. Most deodar cultivars will grow into large, handsome specimen trees that need plenty of room. Plant them in the back of a large landscape so they can be seen in their entirety. Deodar is the most popular landscaping cedar in America, transforming the winter landscape like few other trees can do. I hope you will give it a try in yours. By Norman Winter McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT) When you think Afghanistan, plant material is probably not the first thing to come to mind. Yet this is precisely where one our landscape's most elegant and beautiful trees originates. The tree I am referring to is the deodar cedar, and to be honest it is not just from Afghanistan but the Himalayas as well. Columbus, Ga., has more of them planted than any other community I have lived. We have ones that appear to be very old and stand so statuesque as if they have a story to tell to all who pass by. In the city we have them in all ages, including an abundance that must have been planted 15 to 20 years ago. These look like paintings in the landscape with their silvery blue green pendulous branches. During this time of the year, my eyes seem to pick out every conifer in the landscape, especially the deodar cedar. Conifers are the cone-bearing trees or shrubs, and when everything else goes brown or dormant, the evergreens really stand out. They are important to the winter landscape, giving us that needed evergreen structure. Deodar cedar, or just deodar, is known botanically as Cedrus deodara and is used in the landscape along with Cedrus libani, or cedar of Lebanon, and the Cedrus atlantica, or Atlas cedar. Deodars can reach more than 150 feet tall, but we typically see them maturing in the 50- to 70-foot range after 30 to 40 years. Lower branches bend gracefully downward and then up again. The stiff, needle-like, silvery blue green leaves are about 2 inches long and borne in dense whorls. Most are sold generically, which in this case is just fine but keep your eyes open for cultivars. Argentea is fast growing and has silvery bluish gray foliage. This one is my favorite. Aurea is smaller, reaching to 30 feet and has golden yellow new foliage. Pendula has long, weeping branches and grows no taller than 10 feet. The deodar cedar is cold hardy to zone 7, but Shalimar released by the Arnold Arboretum is known for superior cold hardiness for landscapes in zone 6. The deodar is fairly fast growing for the first decade or two, reaching as high as 30 feet in its first 10 years. I think it is most beautiful at this stage. Between years 10 and 20, it will slowly broaden at the top. Older specimens generally show some top die-back, but don't let this keep you from experiencing 10 to 20 years of deodar bliss in In a poll commissioned by Remodeling and Builder magazines in June and July 2011, nearly 2,000 homeowners and over 1,000 renters were asked questions regarding home ownership. When asked why they'd prefer to live in existing homes, rather than new homes, 57 percent of seniors (aged 65 and above) and 47 percent of those between 45 and 64 responded because they can remodel their home to their individual tastes. Over time, our personal palates evolve, the size of the family living beneath our roof may change, and remodeling can bring our homes up to speed with the changing times, as well as our own preferences. Whether it's a major remodel or something less than major (is there ever such a thing as a "small" remodel?), we know we can expect anxiety, deadlines, and confusion. So, what does it Sean take to undergo a remodel in your home? It might help to first understand the remodeling process in general, with an assist from the National Kitchen and Bath Association. Inspect the space: With an objective eye, inspect the space around you to determine what you want out of the remodel. Is it a larger kitchen with more counter space? Or is the bathroom too small, while lacking some mood-boosting natural light? Solicit input from everyone in the home, and figure out how to maximize the remodel, both in the short and long terms. Create the map: Go about your daily business, and keep thorough notes. What obstacle is in the way when you walk through the home? How could your evening routine be simplified? Look closely at everything within the home, map out your paths (especially the kitchen and bathroom) and leave no stone unturned. You can always go back and eliminate any suggestions that don't apply. Hunting and gathering (ideas): Here's the fun part. Find your inspiration wherever you go. Out to dinner, at friends' homes, talk to your co-workers, read design magazines and take heed of design TV shows. And when you're collecting your ideas, gather them in one single, easy-to-access place. Budget, budget, budget: The things we want cost money—and a home remodel is no different. After knowing what you want and how this will fit in the home, set a budget. Prioritize where you'd like to spend your money, and how much you're willing to spend. Of course, keep in mind that the unexpected cost will surely rear its ugly head somewhere along the way, so it's prudent to budget that in. A remodel is a project we shouldn't take lightly. But the idea also doesn't have to scare us away from the endeavor itself. The simple task of going through a mental checklist before you even get started on the remodel could produce clarity, while helping to create peace of mind. Until next time, Happy Home Improving! Murphy Project Home Sean Murphy is a copywriter for Build.com in Chico. Visit the company's website for more home improvement tips at www.build.com. January is for Pruning Whether you are just learning, or want to freshen up your skills, learn proper care & pruning techniques from the experts. UPCOMING CLASSES: FRUIT TREE PRUNING Sunday, January 13th at 1pm Saturday, January 19th at 10am & 1pm Saturday, January 26th at 10am & 1pm ROSE CARE & PRUNING Saturday, January 12th at 1pm Monday, January 14th at 1pm GRAPES CARE & PRUNING Saturday, February 2nd at 11am Monday, February 16th at 11am BERRIES CARE & PRUNING Cane Berries to Strawberries Saturday, February 9th at 11am Saturday, February 23rd at 11am *Note: All classes are free, class size is limited, please call or email to reserve your seat. WYNTOUR GARDENS 365-2256 8026 Airport Road, Redding I-5 North, Exit #673, Rt on Knighton, Rt on Airport Located 1 mile south of the Airport (Next to Kents Mkt) Open Mon-Sat 8-5 & Sunday's 10-4 wyntourgardens.com Facebook inform@wyntourgardens.com